Deauville, France – August 14, 2025 – Kevin Staut (FRA) won the Vilamoura Classic, the first of four major events in the Longines Deauville Classic, this afternoon at the Longines International Horse Centre. Riding Kannonqulan, a competitive nine-year-old mare, the Calvados native won ahead of Luxembourg’s Victor Bettendorf (LUX), second on Doha de Riverland, and Marc Dilasser (FRA) from Orne, third on Arioto du Gèvres. In doing so, the Rio Olympic team champion extended his lead at the top of the Haras Authuit challenge.

The qualifying battle for the prestigious Longines Grand Prix of the Normandy region, the premier event of the CSI 4* Longines Deauville Classic, began with the Vilamoura Classic Prize CSI 4* Friday afternoon at the Longines International Horse Centre. A highly competitive battle, with eighty-nine candidates competing in this 1.50m speed event, with only fifty available entries for Sunday afternoon. In front of a crowd that was already quite large for a Thursday, many riders and horses played the speed game. On Grégory Bodo‘s (FRA) course, twenty combinations achieved a clean round, earning them a ticket to Sunday’s summit.

Highly inspired, the French were four in the top five of this event, which counted for the the Longines world ranking. Only Luxembourg’s Victor Bettendorf (LUX), based not far from here, troubled the French. Starting at the end of the event, he finished second on Doha de Riverland (SF, Nabab de Rêve x Quincy). Third, fourth and fifth, Marc Dilasser (FRA), recent winner of the CSI 4* Grand Prix of Chantilly Classic and 3* of Saint-Lô, Nicolas Sers (FRA) and Philippe Rozier (FRA) produced very solid rounds on Arioto du Gèvres (SF, Diamant de Semilly x Qualisco III), Eleven de Riverland (SF, Kannan x Diamant de Semilly) and Dirty Sweet (SF, Cornet Obolensky x Lavillon).

However, they had to admit defeat to Kevin Staut (FRA), called onto the track early in the afternoon with Kannonqulan (SWB, Kannan x Quantum).

For this nine-year-old mare and the Calvadosien, established in Pennedepie, between Deauville and Honfleur, it is the second Marseillaise in the space of two weeks, since the couple were coming off a victory at 1.45m of the CSI 4* in Valkenswaard. “I’m obviously happy. We bought Kannonqulan in Sweden four or five months ago with a partner who supports me in this type of investment. For the past year and a half, I’ve been trying to fill some gaps in my system, notably by taking shares in horses myself, so as to no longer rely solely on owners. Previously, Kannonqulan had always been ridden by her breeder (the Swedish breeder Julia Johansson, editor’s note), who took her up to 1.45m. As a result, we were a bit groping at the beginning. It must be said that I had launched her in the Jump’Est 3* Grand Prix in our first week (the combination had thirty penalty-points, editor’s note). Since then, we’ve made progress and the mare is increasingly understanding what I ask of her. She’s naturally competitive, which was evident today: to win a class with ninety starters by a second, you need a naturally fast horse. “The rider’s skills are not enough,” said the rider. “Now we have to see how far she can go, because she’s still young and inexperienced. In any case, I’m already enjoying riding her.”

With this victory, Kevin Staut (FRA) consolidated his position as leader of the Haras d’Authuit Challenge, which encompasses the major events of the three Normandy Grand Prix Events competitions. Although he did not compete in the CSIO 3* Sotheby’s International Realty at the end of June, having earned a national selection at the CSIO 5* Rotterdam, the third round of the Longines Nations League, the 2016 Olympic team champion remained in the lead even before this Vilamoura Classic, thanks to his two victories and his second place with Vida Loca in three Cabourg Classic events in late May and early June. Thanks to the 100 new points he earned today, the 2009 European champion now has 485 points, 220 and 225 more than Dimme d’Haese and Jérôme Guéry. The Belgians and the other competitors will have to redouble their efforts to deprive Kevin Staut of the prize of this challenge: a colt of the year from among those selected by the Haras d’Authuit, established in Calvados and Eure.

“If I win the challenge, it will give me a very good reason to take a real interest in current pedigrees. Everyone knows how talented I am at breeding!” jokes Kevin Staut. “In any case, I find it an original and interesting challenge, whose reward is much more significant than a trophy or anything else. Despite my lack of knowledge on the subject, I advocate for the need to rediscover a sense of communion between riders and breeders, or at least to relearn how to work together. Through this challenge, GrandPrix is encouraging us to reconnect with each other.”

The next meeting for the qualifications and the challenge is the Fences Agency Prize, scheduled for this Friday.

Final Results – €29,300 Vilamoura Classic Prize CSI 4*

1) Kevin Staut (FRA) & Kannonqulan – 0 – 62.36

2) Victor Bettendorf (LUX) & Doha de Riverland – 0 – 63.62

3) Marc Dilasser (FRA) & Arioto du Gevres – 0 – 63.91

Source: Press Release from (translated & edited( Grand Prix Events

Photos: © Grand Prix Events / Namaristudio / Anais Marie

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